


Draught of Living Death

by TheLightinmySeoul



Series: Lee Jihoon and the First Wizarding War [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Angst, Crimes & Criminals, First War with Voldemort, M/M, Magic, Mystery, Ravenclaw Jihoon, Romance, Slytherin Soonyoung
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-01 03:00:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17236097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLightinmySeoul/pseuds/TheLightinmySeoul
Summary: Jihoon learns that being alive is not the same thing as living.





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy the second installment to my Harry Potter series!
> 
> This takes place five years after Felix Felicis, in which Jihoon and Soonyoung have graduated from Hogwarts and Jihoon has become an Auror at the Ministry of Magic.
> 
> There is one more story before the final, main fic that will be posted in February for The Big Screen ficfest. Enjoy until then!

 

 

—

 

The  **Draught of Living Death** is a powerful sleeping draught which sends the drinker into a deathlike slumber. 

 

—

 

The year was 1969. The beginnings of an unstable climate. Rumors of the Dark Lord Voldemort’s upcoming rise to power were running rampant. There were whispers that at any moment he would launch a revolution against the Ministry of Magic and the world’s greatest fear would become a reality. No one would be safe because no one would be able to stand in his way.  
  
Everyone in the Ministry was working overtime, every able bodied employee called to duty to follow leads, clean up attacks, heal survivors, and modify memories. There were no breaks, no relief, because the moment they’d fall behind would be the moment they truly lose. Everyone’s sanity was hanging by a thread and panic was only rivaled by bone dry exhaustion.  
  
Lee Jihoon had been a part of the Auror office for three years now. He completed his training a year ago and had constantly been in the field since. He’d been involved in numerous high stakes and successful operations, and yet Jihoon couldn’t see an end to the constant stream of dangers and threats that came their way. He felt like he was just barely keeping his head above a water torrent but one of these days the current would sweep him away.  
  
Jihoon hadn’t seen his apartment in four days, instead sleeping on a cot in an old office that had been turned into a break room. The team he was assigned to had been working a case nonstop since the start of the week, following the disappearance of three Death Eaters that had escaped from custody while being transferred to Azkaban. They were on the loose and Jihoon’s team hadn’t had any luck so far, exhausting  their contacts and chasing empty leads with nothing to show for it.  
  
“Lee!”  
  
Jihoon shot out of his cot, one hand groping for his wand, the other pushing gold rimmed glasses onto his face. He looked blearily up at his team captain, Augustus Alexander, who was standing in the doorway holding a case folder in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.  
  
“Did you look into the Montgomery files like I asked you?” Alexander asked. A rather unimpressive man. He was tall, thin, with premature balding, and held himself with the air of someone who thought they were much more important than they actually were. He had deep dark circles under his eyes and didn’t seem to notice he was stirring his coffee precariously with his wand.  
  
Jihoon nodded, trying to get his sleep deprived brain to make sense of the situation. “Yes sir.”  
  
“Good, I want a full report. Jeon got some new information last night and I want to cross reference it. My office, fifteen minutes.”  
  
“Yes sir.” Jihoon croaked out. Alexander shut the door with a bang and the few other Aurors sleeping in the room stirred in their cots. Doing his best not to disturb anyone else, he changed clothes quietly, flattened his curly hair to the best of his abilities and headed out to the office.

 

The Auror Department was located on the second level of the Ministry of Magic Headquarters. It was a huge, round room divided up into cubicles and filled to the brim with odd personal artifacts, magical objects, and wanted posters of dark wizards. His own cubicle was pushed in a corner, rather empty except for the mound of folders on his desk and the few pictures attached to his wall. As he came closer he saw the coffee he had summoned seconds earlier steaming atop of his desk. As he sipped at it, he realized he wasn’t even sure what time it was. Lately, he’d just been trying to sleep whenever he could, which left him with rather strange working hours.  
  
Sifting through the sea of papers, a few of his personal pictures grinned down at him; one of him and Soonyoung on their Grand Tour, his Hogwarts schoolmates posed in front of the castle walls, and a somber family portrait.  
  
Jihoon took a long, distracted look at the picture of him and Soonyoung, posing in front of the pyramids of Egypt, looking tan and windswept but happy. He felt a pang of nostalgia. It had been three years since their big adventure and ever since they returned Jihoon felt like all he did for three whole years was work. They barely saw each other, this time it had been well over two weeks since they last met. He missed him so much. He looked back at his papers and told himself as long as he finished this case he could visit Soonyong at Hogwarts, despite knowing that lately the workload never stopped.  
  
As soon as they came back from their Grand Tour, Soonyoung had been offered a position as a teaching assistant, and only this year had graduated to a full time professor teaching Charms at Hogwarts. It was Soonyoung’s dream job, but because of how busy Jihoon was at work they only had a brief, small party to celebrate. Jihoon wanted to make it up to him, but with how the pile of files Jihoon had to work through grew daily, Jihoon didn’t see that happening anywhere in the near future.  
  
Forcing himself back to the case on hand, Jihoon double checked to make sure he had everything before making his way to Alexander’s office. What had once been a fancy room showing off his many achievements, was now filled to the brim with paper and clutter for the numerous cases he was juggling. Jihoon weaved through piles of confiscated items and boxes of paper trails, making sure not to accidentally brush against the one that said ‘cursed objects’, and took a seat at the table where Alexander and Jeon Wonwoo were sitting.  
  
Wonwoo had joined the Auror Department at the same time as Jihoon. They trained together and eventually ended up on the same team. Black haired with smart looking glasses, he smiled broadly at Jihoon when he sat down and Jihoon returned the smile with a tired grin. Alexander, looking distracted, motioned for Jihoon to start.  
  
“I’ve looked into everything we have regarding Montgomery and I haven’t been able to find any information on where he might be hiding,” Jihoon reported, taking out pictures from the folder and laying them out on the table. “I’ve checked his family home, his childhood home, his vacation home, as well as where he went to school, his job history, his most recent whereabouts, friends and family... No one knows where he is and every lead I followed has come up blank.”  
  
Marcus Montgomery was one of the three wizards that had escaped and was hiding somewhere in London. He was the youngest of the three and had immigrated from Spain years ago along with his family, and went into the lucrative family business of selling and trading dark objects. Since he was the type who is used to riches and wealth, Jihoon was surprised Montgomery was adapting so well to being on the run.

  
“Jeon was able to find out some information regarding one of his contacts,” Alexander brought up, motioning toward Wonwoo. “He may have found out where the three were meeting before they were captured.”  
  
It was a start. They hadn’t been able to figure out how the three wizards had met before. They had no personal ties and even if they did, all leads came back blank. Most Death Eaters didn’t know each other’s real identities, which made it even more difficult for the Ministry to track them down.

“I want you and Jeon to visit the establishment, _Smoke and Mirrors_ . It’s a wizarding restaurant that numerous Pure-blood families frequent.” Jihoon recognized the name. It was one of the many establishments his Pure-blood parents liked to frequent and show off their wealth. “The back deals in non-tradable items. I want you to be discreet, not draw attention to yourself, and see if you can figure out where the three wizards are located, or at least where they’re headed.”  
  
“Yes sir.” Wonwoo says standing up as Jihoon follows. “If you give us the address, we’ll get going straight away-”  
  
“You two will have an escort who knows his way around. The Investigation Department insists on getting involved, and their case member says he has a contact inside the establishment who may have information.” He motioned towards the door and it sprung open right on cue.  
  
“Lee Jihoon! How lovely to see you!”  
  
Wen Junhui swept into the room, looking stunning in a tailored muggle suit, expensive watch on his wrist, and black hair swept back. He was carrying a heavy leather suitcase in one hand while the other waved in greeting. “You look well. It’s a shame you haven’t accepted any of the invitations to my house for the last five months…”  
  
Jihoon forced out an apologetic smile while Wonwoo tried not to laugh beside him. The last person he had been expecting to see was Wen Junhui, but he guessed it did make sense. Who better to get them into a Pure-blood joint than one of the most famous Pure-bloods around.  
  
“You have fifteen minutes to prepare, a portkey will be set up outside the office,” Alexander said, gathering his files and leaving the room.  
  
“So,” Jun started explaining immediately. “The plan is for Jihoon and I to go in, I’ve already made reservations. Wonwoo will remain under an invisibility cloak and we will wait until we’re contacted by my informant,” he says. Jihoon exchanged looks with Wonwoo, there wasn’t much more to add now that the plan was already prepared for them. “I was able to get a hold of my contact, who is the owner of the place by the way,” Jihoon almost rolled his eyes. Of course. “He will be able to answer some questions as long as we remain discreet. The patrons of _Smoke and Mirrors_ cannot realize that we’re from the Ministry, otherwise it’ll be bad for business and the owner refuses to cooperate.”  
  
Jihoon had a feeling there must be a better idea than a private dinner date with Wen Junhui, but didn’t argue. They gathered their things, Jihoon switched to much nicer attire and Wonwoo made sure the invisibility cloak they borrowed was able to fully cover him. When they were ready they made their way to the transportation room.  
  
A portkey was set up for them beside numerous fireplaces. The three took a hold of the odd feathered hat and with a wrenching tug at their stomachs, they disappeared.

\--

  
  
They landed in a small alleyway connected to a bustling London street. Jihoon stumbled but didn’t lose his footing. No one seemed to notice the group, and the three easily waded into the rapidly moving crowd, Jihoon silently hoping Wonwoo was able to keep up.  
  
The entrance to _Smoke and Mirrors_ was located above a fancy muggle dining restaurant. Instead of taking the front door, Junhui led them down a side alley where an intricately painted image of a mirror was graffitied on the brick wall. However when they stood in front of it, their images reflected back at them.  
  
“Dinner reservations for two, under the name Wen Junhui.” Jun said, clearly used to doing this on a regular basis.  
“Enter.” Jun stepped in first and Jihoon followed after him, passing completely through the supposed solid wall.  
  
It felt like passing through a veil and almost immediately bright lights assaulted their eyes. They were standing in a grand waiting area, with plush velvet seating and an excessive golden chandelier hanging from above. A short, frazzled wizard quickly led them towards the main dining room, bowing and apologizing for not recognizing Jun sooner.  
  
The main atrium had a large, rounded ceiling with stain glass paintings of beautiful mermaids that swam across the scene. Upper levels had boxes which were blocked out for privacy, while the lower level featured large tables with expensive dinnerware and equally expensive patrons enjoying their meals. A full orchestra of instruments was playing softly by themselves beside a marble statue of a wizard conducting.  
  
The waiter seated them at the edge at an inconspicuous table, quickly took their orders then hustled off to get their meals. The table magically set itself and water poured into their crystal cups from a floating pitcher.  
  
“This is nice,” Jun said pleasantly, motioning toward a nearby bottle of wine which floated over and poured them each a glass. He seemed in his element, blending in nicely with the expensive dinnerware and golden hangings. Jihoon meanwhile felt like a fish out of water. It was everything his family had expected him to grow into and everything he never wanted. He had vehemently been avoiding this kind of lifestyle ever since he had turned his back on his family and left his home after graduating from Hogwarts three years ago.  
  
“Yes, it’s lovely,” he forced himself to say and downed his cup of wine to calm his nerves.  
Wonwoo seemed to have kept up well because Jihoon noticed him sneaking a piece of bread under the cloak.  
  
“This doesn’t seem very conspicuous,” Jihoon commented, trying to keep the disdain out of his voice and focus back on the mission. “Open seating area. Reservations are kept written down. And they obviously serve a certain type of customer. Those three would’ve easily been spotted here together. Someone must remember seeing them.”  
  
“Not if they used one of the private boxes.” Jun motioned towards the suspended and covered boxes on the upper levels. “It’s for the more specific clientele who don’t want to be seen.”  
  
“If they don’t have records, our lead is gone,” Jihoon said, frowning.  
  
At that Jun gave him a mysterious smile. “Always doubting me, Jihoon. We just need to wait until the boss calls us over, then we’ll be able to get all the information we need.” He leaned forward and tapped their wine glasses together, the ring of the clinking crystals ominous. “So stop looking so uncomfortable and enjoy the food. The bill is on me.”  
  
Jihoon really did try to, fully knowing the astounding cost of such a meal, but was barely able to swallow anything. The expensive meal tasted like ash on his tongue.  
  
Thankfully they didn’t need to wait long. Halfway through their second course, a well dressed butler came by their table, holding a parchment letter on a silver platter. “The Boss will see you now,” he said.  
  
Jun swiped the envelope off the platter, taking a quick glance to read it before slipping it into the inner pocket of his jacket. He stood up and pulled Jihoon’s chair back for him. “Time for us to go,” he smiled and Jihoon followed him out of the room. Jihoon tried not to glance over his shoulder and could only hope Wonwoo was following them.  
  
The butler led them down one of the back hallways, with burgundy and gold draping and little light. It was definitely where the seedier transactions were done and the strange glow to the hallway put Jihoon on guard. He found himself placing his hand inside his coat jacket to grasp his wand.  
  
The butler stopped in front of an intricate mahogany door and knocked. Jun pulled the letter from his pocket and pressed the wax seal to the peephole. It clicked open.  
  
The room reminded Jihoon of a mob boss’s office from one of those muggle movies Soonyoung made him watch. It was overly large, covered head to toe in burgundy velvet with striking black furniture and gold accents. There were a lot of expensive wizarding trinkets spread out in the room, and a large kneazle was curled up in a golden cage, its pelt a fantastic midnight blue with golden speckles and a lion-like tail.  
  
Almost as soon as they entered the kneazle looked up and began to hiss, and a sneakoscope on the table began to whirl, emitting a high pitched whistle.  
  
“Deception is not a very polite way of introduction.” The boss of _Smoke and Mirrors_ was a large, burly man with an impressive mustache, dressed in a cross between a muggle suit and a wizard robe. He had a golden monocle covering his severe gaze, and held a wooden cane with an intricately carved ravens head on top that seemed to peer at Jihoon with living emerald eyes.  
  
“My apologies, Mr. Aincard,” Jun said as Wonwoo took off the invisibility cloak and the butler hung it up on the coat rack. “Precautionary.”  
  
“It’s been a long time Mr. Wen,” Aincard said, reaching out to strongly grasp his hand. He smiled but there was something malicious in his gaze that made Jihoon wary.  
  
“Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice,” Jun said politely. “Let me introduce you to my colleagues, this is Jeon Wonwoo and Lee Jihoon of the Auror Department.”  
  
Aincard reached out to grasp their hands as well, though he held Jihoon’s palm rather tightly, holding on for a moment too long. “Your parents are quite the patrons of my establishment,” he said, his golden monocle flashing in the light as he observed Jihoon. Jihoon could see gold teeth peeking out of his grin. “Though I would say you have made quite the reputation for yourself on your own, Mr. Lee. Blood Traitors always steal the show, wouldn’t you agree?”  
  
Jihoon frowned and didn’t respond. He was used to being called a Blood Traitor by now, but the way the man said it made it seem like he was looking at a prized object on sale. It set him on edge. Aincard finally let go of his arm and led them over to the seating area, where he settled into a large, comfortable armchair. He took out a box from his coat, clicking it open to reveal a row of expensive muggle cigars and when he lifted one to his lips his butler lit the tip of it with a touch of his wand.  
  
“Were you able to look into what I asked about?” Jun asked, settling on the couch across from him and accepting a cigar when Aincard offered. Jihoon and Wonwoo sat beside him and both declined.  
  
“I have,” Aincard said. A swirl of smoke escaped his lips. “But, not so fast. We don’t talk business without discussing payment first.” His eyes flashed.  
  
“Of course.” Jun picked up the briefcase he had been carrying and laid it on the table. The top was covered in gold galleons, a vast amount which would have made anyone pause. But it didn’t seem to be what Aincard was waiting for. Jun reached past the small fortune and pulled from the bag a medium sized earthy brown egg with green flecks.  
  
Jihoon’s mouth dropped on its own accord. Dragon eggs were a Class A non-tradable item, very rare and very expensive. Trading such an item was a crime the Ministry put wizards behind bars for, and something they should not be leveraging with.  
  
“Jun,” Wonwoo hissed, looking equally as surprised, but Jun merely ignored them, placing the dragon egg carefully on the table.  
  
Aincard’s eyes glinted hungrily. He fixed his monocle with big meaty fingers and bent over the table to get a closer look. “I’m starting a collection, you know,” he told them with a haughty grin. “A common welsh green is a great starting point.” Seeming satisfied, he settled back in his chair, crossing his legs comfortably and clapping his hands. “Wonderful, I can always count on you, Junhui.”  
  
He motioned towards his butler and the man swept forward, placing three files onto the table before carefully gathering the dragon egg and leaving with it.  
  
“This is the information regarding the three Death Eaters that you asked about. Everything I have is on the table, though I’m sure your information is on par. There was not much I could find.” The three began to look through the files and Jihoon tried to ignore the distinct feeling he was doing something illegal. “Marcus Montgomery, Isaac Conroy and Alexandria Violet. Three mid tier Death Eaters with a close connection to the Dark Lord’s inner circle. Montgomery focuses on selling and trading dark objects, Conroy is a specialist in the Imperius curse, and Violet is a well accomplished potions master. Their last known whereabouts are from the night they escaped Ministry custody on their way to life sentences in Azkaban.”  
  
Jihoon flipped repetitively through the files, but it was almost all information that they had already gathered. Most definitely not worth a dragon egg.  
  
“I see,” Junhui didn’t seem impressed either. “Is this it? No information regarding where they are?”  
  
Aincard laughed, loud and boisterous. His kneazle moved around in its cage, watching them with golden eyes. “What do you take me for, boy? An amateur? Have I ever let you down before?” He smiled mischievously. “I have recently found that Marcus Montgomery has made reservations at my establishment under the name Winfield, most likely in hopes of meeting with one of his contacts. And as I’m sure you know, the name Winfield just so happens to belong to a Mr. Frederick Winfield, a known transporter of goods… Material and alive.”  
  
Jihoon’s heart rate began to pick up. They could find out what the Death Eaters were planning, a possible accomplice, maybe even bring one of them in. It made his blood burn in excitement. This was a huge breakthrough, the closest they had gotten to any of the Death Eaters in weeks.  
  
“And it just so happens that this very reservation is set for tonight,” Aincrad continued, clearly pleased with himself. His butler returned and held out a small flat box to him, which Aincard placed on the table. “Reservation is this evening at seven, in box nine on the upper right hand of the atrium.” He opened the box and removed a gold monocle, similar to the one he was wearing. “Our private boxes are unseeable to the common eye, but by wearing this you will be able to see its occupants when they arrive. You will not be able to hear anything, however…” His gaze landed on the invisibility cloak. “I’m sure that can be arranged.”  
  
Jihoon was itching to get moving, seven wasn’t far away. “I believe this was suitable information?” Aincard asked as the four of them stood.  
  
“Excellent, thank you again Mr. Aincard.” Junhui shook his hand, leaving the suitcase open on the table.  
  
Wonwoo went to grab the invisibility cloak but Aincard interrupted them. “I would suggest Mr. Jeon join you at the table, Junhui, and Mr. Lee take the cloak.” He had that same mysterious smile on his face. “My patrons tend to love gossip, and I think it would make quite the stir for Mr. Lee to be seen at my establishment. Merely a suggestion.”  
  
The three of them exchanged glances, that hadn’t been the plan. They had assumed Jihoon would seem less out of place because of blood ties, but maybe Ancard was right and Jihoon’s reputation surpassed him more than any of them had realized.

  
“Maybe it really is for the best,” Jun said. “Jihoon?”  
  
Jihoon shrugged and accepted the invisibility cloak, exchanging his own suit jacket with Wonwoo. Junhui then put on the monocle, checking to see if it really worked and when he could see Jihoon through the enchantments, the butler lead them out of the room.  
  
Jihoon was careful to stay close to the group and out of arms way of anyone that was passing by. Once Jun and Wonwoo sat down he stayed near the edge of the table waiting. Wonwoo seemed pleased at being able to eat and began to dig into his meal, while Jun kept inconspicuously glancing towards private box nine.  
  
Jihoon was counting down the minutes until seven when a familiar figure across the hall caught his eye. It seemed Jun had seen him too because he hissed to get Jihoon’s attention.  
  
“What is Jeonghan doing here?” Jihoon whispered, surprised to see a fellow Auror seated at a table. Jihoon hadn’t spoken to Yoon Jeonghan in weeks, even though he saw him every now and then at the Auror Office. Jeonghan, his senior, was like a tornado these days, moving from one case to another with a deadly determination that left most people reeling to stay out of his way.  
  
Jeonghan was seated beside his younger brother, Chan, across from a couple and their son whom Jihoon didn’t recognize. It was a surprise to Jihoon, since he hadn’t seen Jeonghan doing anything other than Auror work in three years. Jeonghan seemed as stoic as usual, face impassive and tense, while his younger brother spoke curtly to the family across the table.  
  
While Jihoon was distracted with Jeonghan, Jun tugged on his cloak and pointed in the opposite direction. Jihoon turned.  
  
Kwon Soonyoung strode through the front doors of _Smoke and Mirrors_ , dressed in the most expensive suit Jihoon had ever seen him wear, a butler leading him to a table at the opposite side of the grand hall. The butler pulled back the seat for him and seemed to offer him a drink while Soonyoung took a rigid seat.  
  
Across from Jihoon’s parents.

\--

 


	2. Two

\--

 

“Merlin’s beard,” Jihoon uttered in horror, nearly forgetting he was invisible. Wonwoo coughed violently beside him, trying to cover up his rather loud exclamation.   
  
Jihoon paused once, looking over at Jeonghan’s table which seemed heated as the two families exchanged some choice words. Then he looked back at Soonyoung who was having dinner with his family. He heard Junhui hiss a warning but he couldn’t help himself, already weaving across the room towards his boyfriend.   
  
The Lee’s had chosen a rather subtle spot in the atrium, right in the corner of the hall where they could sit in the shadows, rather unlike them as they preferred to be the center of attention. They were dressed in their usual expensive attire, clearly overdoing it as a reminder of the sheer intensity of their wealth. Even Soonyoung in his nicest clothes looked rather shabby compared to their stark and impressive figures.    
  
Once he was in hearing distance, Jihoon made sure not to stand too close in case they noticed him.   
  
“… It was polite of you to show up, Mr. Kwon,” Mr. Lee was saying, impassive and sneering. He looked Soonyoung up and down, already appraising his appearance and making his own judgements. “We were not sure you would show up.”   
  
“Your invitation was quite persuasive,” Soonyoung replied bluntly, placing a parchment invitation carefully on the table. Jihoon leaned to get a closer look and saw that it was a curtly worded letter, implying that his parents would like to meet Jihoon’s ‘biggest mistake ever’ and that he was invited to dine with them, if an animal like him had the manners to behave himself in public. Jihoon felt a rush of fury run through his veins and he resisted the strong urge to rip the invisibility cloak off of himself and tell his parents just who he thought were the real animals.   
  
“You must be quite out of your element,” Mr. Lee said, beckoning to the waiter. “Might as well enjoy yourself, since this will be the only time you’ll be invited to such an establishment. How about one of the wines from the middle shelf? Surely it’ll be much better than anything you’ve ever tasted.”   
  
“I’m good with water, thank you,,” Soonyoung said curtly. “I won’t be staying long.”   
  
There was a tense silence as invisible hands poured the Lee’s their expensive wine, while Soonyoung didn’t even glance at his water. If it had been under any other circumstance, Jihoon would’ve taken the chance to admire Soonyoung’s handsome figure since they hadn’t seen each other in so long, but he was too preoccupied with wishing Soonyoung would just get up, preferably flip the table over, and leave.    
  
“I am sure we are all aware of why you were invited here,” Mrs. Lee finally spoke, staring intensely over her glass at Soonyoung’s stoic figure. With delicate fingers she placed a slim silver key onto the table. “This is a key to a vault at Gringotts. Inside is over ten thousand galleons. Of course it is up to you, whether you would like to accept this offer or not.”   
  
“And what would you get out of it?” Soonyoung asked, though there was something in his tone that made it seem like he already knew.    
  
“Our son Jihoon back, of course,” Mrs. Lee said. She sounded sincere now, like she was trying to act the tragic mother figure who just misses her son hoping Soonyoung would understand. Her tone only sounded fake and conniving to Jihoon, who was used to her manipulative actions, while Soonyoung seemed to have a hint of guilt pass through his eyes. “He’s our only child,” she continued and Jihoon hoped Soonyoung didn’t actually believe her manipulative speech. “He’s twenty now and we think it’s time he sees reason. He has his whole future ahead of him, don’t you think he should return to us so that we can help him become the successful man he is supposed to be?”   
  
“Help him?” Soonyoung interrupted, tone cold. He was more furious than Jihoon had ever seen him. His eyes were narrowed, and he was clutching onto the chair, digging his nails into the armrest to restrain himself. Jihoon couldn’t help but feel a little pleased. “You think going back to you people would be helping him? You may be Jihoon’s parents but you don’t know him at all. I thought with him moving out you would come to your senses, but you refuse to respect his wishes and continue to ignore reality.”   
  
“You forced him from us!” His mother snapped shrilly.   
  
“He chose this!” Soonyoung growled, voice rising. “Jihoon was tired of doing what you two expected of him and wanted to make his own path. Why can’t you two respect that? You’re his parents, you’re supposed to love him, not control him.”   
  
“Look at what he’s become,” Mrs. Lee argued, the worried mother tone back stronger than ever. “Traipsing around London. He could be a high ranking Ministry official by now but instead he’s suffering day to night in the Auror office as a lackey and a pawn.”    
  
“You should be proud,” Soonyoung said. “Jihoon is brilliant, successful, hardworking. He’s a fantastic Auror. He’s going to move up in the ranks without your connections.”   
  
“And what about the dangers he’s in?” His father accused, finally speaking up. “You should be ashamed of yourself, supporting and even encouraging the risky path he is taking. The only thing worse than a Mudblood in these times is a Blood Traitor.”    
  
Soonyoung winced, like he’d been slapped across the face. Jihoon’s mother cut in before he could speak for himself, sinking her claws deeper into his unsaid fears. “And that’s what all of us want, isn’t it? To protect Jihoon,” her voice was almost soft and Jihoon could see Soonyoung pursing his lips unable to disagree with that. “So let him go,” his mother said. “Let him come back to us so we can provide the protection that you never could. Give him the future he deserves! He needs someone of status, someone who is worthy of him. And that cannot be you, and we all know it.”   
  
Jihoon was enraged, practically boiling underneath the cloak. He loved his parents somewhere deep down, but right now… They had no right to say such despicable and cruel things to Soonyoung, who had never done anything wrong. It was Jihoon who for the first time in his life had made a decision for himself, escaping from his house and following his dreams of becoming an Auror. Soonyoung was only guilty in standing back and consistently supporting Jihoon which his parents had never done.   
  
Jihoon was about to rip the cloak off and give his parents a piece of his mind when a figure stumbled into him. Jihoon clutched onto the edges of the invisibility cloak, hoping that the person hadn’t noticed him, but found himself staring at Jun instead.   
  
Monocle flashing in the light, Jun subtly tipped his head towards the private box, making sure Jihoon understood, before turning toward the table.   
  
“Oh, Junhui dear!” Mrs. Lee exclaimed, looking pleased with the unexpected surprise. Mr. Lee greeted him like a son, while Soonyoung stared up at him in shock and quite obvious dislike. Soonyoung was suddenly pushed to the side as Junhui began to charm his parents, discussing their plans to travel abroad in the fall.    
  
“We would love to invite you and your family over soon,” Mrs. Lee said. “The whole family will be around.”   
  
“I thought Jihoon had gotten separate arrangements?” Jun questioned.   
  
His mother glanced to the side at Soonyoung, as if staring at an insignificant bug stuck to the side of their table. “I think things will be changing very soon, my dear,” she assured, smiling up at Jun.   
  
Jihoon hesitated, wanting to stay and witness the end of the conversation, but he knew he was on a tight schedule. He tore himself away from the scene, clenching his fists so tight he could feel his nails digging into his skin. With Soonyoung’s pained face imprinting itself in his mind, he headed back into the staff hallways of the establishment, following the route he was instructed about to take him to the second floor. He found box nine in the back corner and waited impatiently until a waiter opened the door. He followed closely behind before secretly placing himself in the corner of the room.   
  
Marcus Montgomery was sitting at the table, though at first glance Jihoon almost didn’t recognize him. He’d transfigured his features, growing long curly brown hair, thickening and darkening his eyebrows and procuring an unruly beard. He wasn’t in a nice suit, most likely wearing the next best thing he could come up with. Jihoon thought he seemed uncomfortable, looking unaccustomed to such lowly standards without the grand resources he was used to.   
  
Montgomery anxiously tapped worn brown shoes on the floor, checking his pocket watch and occasionally glancing at the door. At one point he ordered a very expensive glass of wine and downed half the glass in one gulp.   
  
From his spot Jihoon was able to look through the one way window. Junhui had left to go back to his own table, while Soonyoung had disappeared. Jihoon bit his lip, hoping he would be able to speak to him soon, before forcing his gaze back to the matter at hand and willing himself to focus.   
  
Montgomery was on his second glass of wine when his correspondent walked in. Frederick Winfield seemed quite in his element. He was dressed in rich imported fabrics, a sleek black with purple accents. His hair was slicked back and he seemed neither stressed nor anxious, a clear contrast to Montgomery who was practically sweating off his mustache.   
  
“You asked to meet?” Winfield said, American accent sounding foreign, and helped himself to a glass of wine, taking a long sip of his drink.   
  
“We need safe passage out of Britain,” Montgomery said, wiping at his dripping face with a napkin.   
  
Winfield eyed him with distaste. “You are deserting to the Dark Lord?”   
  
“Of course not!” Montgomery cried, jumping to his feet. The glasses on the table shook. “We would never dare desert the Dark Lord. But we cannot assist him while rotting behind bars! We need to hide underground for awhile, at least until we’re not being searched for. We need to regroup. Conroy is injured and our faces are plastered all around Britain. Every Auror is on the lookout for us, and our funds are running out. We will return, when we are ready-”   
  
“And when will that be?” Winfield questioned. “Our rise to power is soon. Are you saying you wish to avoid the first slaughter? Stay in the safety of your freedom, only to come and reap the rewards when the risk is low?”   
  
“Of course not,” Montgomery spluttered.   
  
“I will not help you,” Winfield said, standing as well. “Or rather I cannot. I have my own entourage, so I must stay low for a while.” He cast a glance out the window before turning his attention back to Montgomery.   
  
“You can’t do this, you owe me-”   
  
“If you truly require assistance, than perhaps you should ask the Dark Lord himself,” Winfield interrupted harshly and Montgomery cowered in fear, the idea the last thing he wanted to do. “Just as I thought. A coward through and through, aren’t you Marcus?”    
  
Montgomery was almost on his knees now. “Please, Frederick. I beg of you, for old times’ sake.”   
  
Winfield scoffed, brushing him off. “How distasteful of you,” he implored but Montgomery didn’t budge. He began to put his jacket back on. “I will see what I can do, but there is no guarantee. This is only because of the favor you once did for me, and because I owe you a debt.” He was about to leave, but both men paused when there was a ruckus down in the atrium, the sound of a chair being thrown and silverware clattering to the ground.    
  
They turned towards the window and Jihoon inched around them to see what was going on.   
  
A fistfight had broken out, and with a shock Jihoon recognized Yoon Jeonghan pulling his younger brother off another boy, who was lying on the ground clutching his bleeding nose. Many of the patrons were on their feet to get a good view, whispering and watching the scene eagerly. The parents were bent over their son, yelling angrily after Jeonghan’s departing figure as he dragged his brother away.   
  
“Tonight, Montgomery,” Winfield said, throwing a card onto the table before striding from the room. Montomgery hesitated before hurriedly following after, taking the bottle of wine with him. Jihoon was able to spy the words written on the card, an address for the southern docks.   
  
Jihoon made to follow, but paused to pick up the handkerchief which had fallen from Marcus Montgomery’s pocket. After making sure the coast was clear, he exited from the room and went for the stairs.   
  
He had almost returned to the atrium when he heard a quiet voice speaking at the end staircase. He slowed his pace and descended silently, holding his breath so as not to get caught. At the last step he spied Jeonghan towering over his younger brother Chan and scolding him fiercely.   
  
“What were you thinking?” Jeonghan hissed, looking furiously down at his brother. Chan had a large purple bruise forming on the side of his face, and his knuckles were cut up and bleeding.    
  
Chan glared up at his brother defiantly. “I won’t let Lucas Rutherford speak about my friends like that!”   
  
“Chan, they’re Muggleborns for Merlin’s sake!” Jeonghan cried, running his hands through his thick blonde hair in frustration.   
  
“So what if they are? They’re my friends!” Chan argued. This didn’t look like the first time they were having this argument. “Rutherford has been going around all year about how after You-Know-Who comes to power he will be coming to purify Hogwarts first. Last weekend he suspended Seungkwan upside down by his ankles in the courtyard, in front of everyone! And you heard the stuff he said today... Everything he said to Hansol, about how he was dirtying himself for being with someone of Muggle blood.”   
  
“You are a Yoon, Chan!” Jeonghan snapped, reaching out to shake him. “You cannot behave like this! I will not allow it. Forget about your so called friends-”   
  
“You and Seungcheol are friends, and he’s a Muggleborn!” Chan argued. “I know you would never let anyone say anything like that about him.”   
  
“We  _ were _ friends, Chan. I’m not friends with him anymore.” Jeonghan snapped so coldly that Chan seemed to realize the mistake he had made. The younger boy clamped his mouth shut, staring moodily at the floor.   
  
Jeonghan sighed, looking irritated and exhausted. He reached out to take hold of his brother but Chan moved away from his embrace. Simmering with frustration, Jeonghan pointed towards the door. “We will continue this conversation at home, get your things. We’re leaving.”   
  
Chan glared at him, like he was debating challenging his brother’s order, but finally turned back towards the atrium and stomping away. Jeonghan took a moment to gather himself before leaving as well, but instead of following after his brother he turned in the opposite direction and headed towards the bathroom.   
  
Out of curiosity Jihoon followed him, just managing to sneak in through the closing door.   
  
Lucas Rutherford was standing in front of the mirror, wiping away the blood from his broken nose. He was tall, broad, quite impressive for a teen. Heavily lidded eyes narrowed in anger when he saw Jeonghan walk through the door, and he sneered. “What the hell do you want-“   
  
He broke off as Jeonghan grabbed him by the back of the hair and pulled his head back. Rutherford attempted to resist but Jeonghan shook him violently, pulling his wand from his pocket and pressing it against Rutherford’s neck.   
  
Jihoon’s jaw dropped in surprise, caught off guard. It was clearly not allowed to assault an underage wizard, but Jihoon didn’t want to break his cover now.

  
“If you ever touch my brother again, you’ll get worse than a simple broken nose,” Jeonghan warned, tightening his grip on the boy’s hair, who let out a whimper of pain in response.   
  
“Let me go, you bastard! My father will hear about this!”   
  
Jeonghan let go of him, though he kept his wand pointed at the boys neck. Rutherford backed up until his back hit the wall, and he looked cross eyed down at the wand tip pressed against his jugular.   
  
“Go ahead, run to daddy, but if you antagonize or injure my brother again,  _ my _ father will hear about this. I know all about your family, and I know for a fact that even though you play at being Pure-bloods, records show that you are actually a Half-blood because your grandmother married a squib. Can you believe that? The ridicule you would suffer… And neither of us want that, do we?” Jeonghan smiled but it was not friendly. Rutherford seemed frozen in shock, finally realizing the terrifying extent of what Jeonghan could do.   
  
“Now clean yourself up. I expect that you’ll behave yourself, otherwise when I see you in the future, it won’t be as pleasant as this.”   
  
Jeonghan smiled grimly before lowering his wand. Rutherford whimpered before scampering from the room, Jihoon stepping out of the way right on time. He was about to leave too, but cast one last look at Jeonghan. He had changed in the past few years, Jihoon realized. Jeonghan had never been this aggressive or violent, actually he was always more of a pacifist when he it came to conflict in school, and Jihoon wondered what had changed to make Jeonghan like this.   
  
Knowing his team was probably waiting for him, Jihoon headed back to the atrium, lucking out when someone walked in to the bathroom allowing Jihoon to escape unseen. Back in the main room, the waiters were still cleaning up the ruckus while the tables gossiped over what had happened. Once he reached their table, Jihoon tapped Jun’s shoulder and the three quickly left the establishment.   


 

\--


	3. Three

—

 

“What the hell happened back there,” Junhui snapped once they were back on the street, blending in with the crowd. “I gave strict orders, do not engage,” Jun scolded. It was rare to see him this serious about anything. “This was only a recon mission. What took you so long?”   
  
“The guy meeting Frederick Winfield really was Montgomery,” Jihoon said, having taken off the invisibility cloak, wrapping it around his arm so he wouldn’t lose it. “He and the other two are trying to find a way out of Britain.”   
  
“There’s no way out,” Wonwoo pointed out on Jun’s other side. “There are Aurors and checkpoints at every exit out of London, and we’re watching the Floo Network, Portkeys, and long distance broom rentals, too. There’s no possible way for them to escape.”   
  
“Winfield gave Montgomery a card before he left,” Jihoon said. “It said the southern ports. They’ll probably try to take a boat.”   
  
“There’s a team investigating Winfield, right?” Wonwoo asked. “We should get them involved.”   
  
“I’ll make a call,” Jun said.   
  
“Meanwhile,” Jihoon pulled out the handkerchief from his pocket and held it up. “I have a plan.”

  
—

  
  
The three of them gathered in the auditorium of the Ministry of Magic, discussing their plan. Alexander had assigned two other members to their team, an Auror that was following Winfield’s case, as well as a Hit Wizard who would be helping apprehend the three Death Eaters.   
  
“Jihoon!” Choi Seungcheol came bounding towards them from across the auditorium, weaving through ministry workers to get to them. Jihoon grinned in response and let himself be tackled, Seungcheol heartily grasping his best friend by the shoulders and smothering him in a hug.    
  
“I didn’t know you would be on this case,” Seungcheol said. He quickly said hello to Jun and Wonwoo, and let them catch him up with the details about the case. Seungcheol had become a Hit Wizard after graduating Hogwarts, easily capturing the position because of his mastery in dueling. Jihoon saw him occasionally around the Ministry, though lately they both had been too busy to meet.   
  
“Good to see you, Seungcheol,” Wonwoo said politely. “How have you been since you and Jeonghan-”   
  
They all broke off as Jeonghan materialized in a neighboring fireplace, stepping out and brushing ash from his cloak. He caught their eye and began walking toward them, though he faltered when he saw Seungcheol.   
  
Jeonghan and Seungcheol, one of Hogwarts most popular couples during their time, broke up three years ago. Jihoon was on his Grand Tour with Soonyoung when it happened but he remembered a distraught Seungcheol showing up in their fireplace while they were in France. Seungcheol had been miserable for months, but seemed to recover well because of his job. Jeonghan on the other hand still seemed off, throwing himself into his work and taking on only the riskiest jobs. He had completely changed, Jihoon couldn’t even remember the last time he had seen him smile.   
  
Despite years passing, it seemed as if the two still hadn’t worked it out. Seungcheol was casting fugitive glances in Jeonghan’s direction, while Jeonghan refused to even acknowledge that he was there.   
  
“That seems to answer my question,” Wonwoo muttered and Jihoon nudged him hard in the ribs.   
  
“If we’re done dallying, I think it’s best we head out,” Jeonghan said impatiently. He began to walk towards the front Ministry doors, the four trailing behind him.   
  
“He’s even more bossy than he was in school,” Wonwoo whispered and Jihoon shushed him. The last thing they needed was to get on Jeonghan’s bad side, and Jihoon had very recently seen just how aggressive he had become.   
  
“Wonwoo, cloak,” Jeonghan instructed and Jihoon quickly handed it over to Wonwoo who slipped it over his head, disappearing before their eyes. As the senior Auror, Jeonghan quickly took charge, giving out orders naturally, and none of the others wished to challenge his authority. The five were going in teams, Jeonghan and Jihoon, Jun and Seungcheol, with invisible Wonwoo as backup. Hopefully they would be able to apprehend the death eaters with little to no resistance. “Once we arrive at the ports, split up,” Jeonghan said as a last instruction. “You know what to do.”   
  
The four nodded before they all Disapparated.

  
  
—   


  
It was quite late by the time they arrived at the ports on the edge of London, so nobody seemed to notice five shadows appearing on the docks. They crowded around Jihoon, who pulled the handkerchief from his pocket and laid it out on his palm.   
  
“ _ Avensegium _ ,” Jihoon said. Immediately, the handkerchief began to float, reshaping into a thin strip, like an arrow of a compass spinning to point at a line of large supply boats docked at the pier. “This way,” Jihoon said, and the rest followed.   
  
The five hurried toward the direction the handkerchief was leading them to, fully aware that they might not have a lot of time left. They ended up at an old shipping container boat docked at the marina. Jihoon caught the handkerchief before it could slip from his grip and the five pulled over to hide in the shadows of a nearby radio tower.   
  
“This looks like the place,” Jun noted. At a closer inspection the boat seemed harmless. It was mostly loaded with a couple of muggle crew members carrying the remainder of boxes up the ramp. There was no sight of the Death Eaters or anyone else suspicious. “They’ll be departing any minute. If we don’t catch them now, we never will,” Jun said grimly.   
  
“Wonwoo, cover the entrance and make sure no one gets off this ship,” Jeonghan instructed before motioning towards Jihoon. The group split up.   
  
They boarded without trouble. Since the crew was all muggles, Jihoon had no trouble confunding a ship member when they passed. Jeonghan motioned at Jihoon for them to head downstairs, while Seungcheol and Jun went to search the top of the boat.   
  
Jihoon pulled the handkerchief from his pocket again, lighting the tip of his wand and letting it guide him through the dimly lit underbelly of the ship. Soft waves outside gently rocked the boat, but otherwise it was quiet and they didn’t confront any muggles.   
  
Finally, just as Jihoon was wondering if they were at the wrong place, the handkerchief lead them to a back room deep underneath the ship. It seemed to be an old storage room, with a heavy door and a bolt locking it from the inside. At a closer inspection, Jihoon noticed there was a muggle repelling charm upon the doorway.   
  
“Jeonghan, we should wait for the others,” Jihoon whispered but Jeonghan ignored him.   
  
He pointed towards the door, not even making sure if Jihoon was out of range, yelling, “ _ Bombarda _ !”   
  
The door blasted open off its hinges, clattering to the ground. Jeonghan ran inside, Jihoon close behind him with his wand raised. The explosion shook the boat and Jihoon could hear yells of surprise overhead.   
  
Montgomery, Conroy and Violet were all scattered on the floor, caught off guard and knocked off their feet. Heavy wooden boxes and a mismatch of supplies had exploded around them, making it difficult to maneuver into the room.    
  
“ _ Petrificus Totalis _ !” Jeonghan cried and Violet keeled over like a rigid board. Montgomery and Controy both lifted their wands, sending spells flying towards Jihoon and Jeonghan, who dodged and blocked to avoid getting hit, throwing their own counter curses back.   
  
Jeonghan sent a powerful  _ Reducto _ curse towards Conroy, who deflected it. The spell ricocheted off the wall and hit the single porthole at the back of the room, shattering the glass. Water began to pour inside, the pressure sending seawater splashing onto the floor of the boat. Before Jihoon or Jeonghan could react, Conroy pointed his wand at the window and with a great roar, a strong wave of water surged through the window and hit both Jihoon and Jeonghan, sweeping them from the room.   
  
Conroy and Montgomery ran after them, Montgomery carrying Violet’s petrified body and quickly applying a counter curse as they attempted to escape down the hallway.   
  
Spluttering, Jihoon raised his wand to send off a stunning spell in hopes of catching them with their backs turned, but Conroy blocked it, sending back his own. The two Auror’s had barely gotten to their feet when Violet, now back to normal, stopped to perform an incantation. The metal piping of the boat began to break free with a loud crunch and descended upon them like snakes as the three Death Eaters escaped down the hall.   
  
“Dammit!” Jeonghan snarled, just barely dodging his head being smashed in. He lifted his wand before Jihoon could stop him. “ _ Confringo _ !”   
  
The spell sent Jeonghan and Jihoon flying backwards, fire and smoke exploding around them. Coughing and covered in soot, Jihoon carefully got his feet, hurrying to Jeonghan’s side to make sure he was alright. The pipes had been destroyed, spluttering out smoke above them. One of them must have had oxygen inside, which had triggered the explosion.   
  
“Are you alright?” Jihoon asked, helping Jeonghan to his feet. “Take a second, gather your bearings-“   
  
“I’m fine,” Jeonghan snarled, ripping himself out of Jihoon’s grasp, not losing any time to chase after the three wizards. This was what Jihoon had been worried about, Jeonghan had no interest in his own safety, which made him a danger to himself and others. Jihoon followed carefully after, jogging to catch up, worrying if in the process of stopping the Death Eaters he would need to stop Jeonghan as well.   
  
There was a ruckus on the dock of the boat, which probably meant that Seungcheol and Jun were fighting off the escaping Death Eaters, and the two hurried up the stairs to help. Jihoon grabbed Jeonghan’s arm just before he leapt through the doorway, just barely saving him from getting hit by a stunning spell. Jeonghan threw him off and ran onto the deck, Jihoon hurrying to catch up.   
  
In the middle of the deck, Seungcheol was in the thick of the fight, dueling with Montgomery and Violet, expertly warding off their attacks. Meanwhile, Jun was head to head with Conroy, exploding lights dancing off their faces. Wonwoo was nowhere in sight.   
  
Jeonghan immediately moved towards Seungcheol, firing off rapid spells, his face one of pure fury. One hit Violet, whose wand bounced out of her hand and she went diving after it.   
  
The Death Eaters began to realize they were outnumbered, closing in ranks and positioning themselves back to back as Jihoon and the others circled around them. They just needed one shot and it would be over…   
  
“There’s nowhere to go!” Jun yelled. “Put your wands down and come quietly!”   
  
“It’s over, turn yourselves in!” Seungcheol added.   
  
Jihoon lifted his wand, seeing an opening, but before he could send a stunning spell through the chaos, Montgomery lifted his wand to the sky and a flash of light erupted from its tip. It hit the cloudy sky and suddenly the weather began to shift.   
  
Thick storm clouds began to gather, blocking out the moon and casting the deck into shadows. A heavy wind began to pick up,  creating large waves that thrashed violently against the boat. Heavy rainfall hit the deck and Jihoon had to lower his wand arm, bracing himself to make sure he didn’t fall from the ship’s sharp movements. Wooden boxes and any supplies tied down upon the deck slid across the floor, the rain making it slippery and hard to stay standing.    
  
A sudden bolt of lightning hit the mast and set the wood on fire, casting an eerie glow over the duelers.   
  
Jihoon saw the three Death Eaters scatter across the deck. Montgomery was standing in the midst of the storm, waving his wand above his head as he tried to make the winds stronger. Conroy was edging closer to Jun, aiming for a direct hit, while Violet ran for the front of the ship, getting ready to Apparate.   
  
Seungcheol spotted her running and set chase, slipping on the slick surface. Conroy spotted him and raised his wand just as Violet spun around.   
  
Two stunning spells hit Seungcheol in the chest and the force of them sent him flying, his back hitting the edge of the railing and sending him toppling over the edge of the boat.   
  
“SEUNGCHEOL!” Jeonghan screamed and before Jihoon could do anything Jeonghan leapt overboard.   
  
While they were distracted Violet Apparated. Another bolt of lightning hit the ship and while Jun managed to throw up a shield spell on time, it still sent him stumbling backwards and when he landed, he didn’t get back up.   
  
Jihoon managed to block a stunning spell, though he now found himself alone fighting two Death Eaters. They seemed to realize they had gained the upper hand and began attacking  eagerly, sending spell after spell. Jihoon somehow blocked the attacks, but the two managed to back him up to the stairs to the underbelly of the boat.   
  
A bolt of lightning hit the ground behind Jihoon, setting more fire to the deck, and Jihoon felt the wood about to collapse underneath his feet. He jumped forward but the plank he landed on broke under his weight, his leg falling through the hole and his pants getting stuck on the sharp edge. He fell forward, clutching his wand as a life line and narrowly missing smashing his face into the deck.   
  
Montgomery was laughing at Jihoon’s defenselessness, the Death Eaters coming closer. “Pesky children,” Conroy scowled, lifting his wand for the killing shot. “Avada-“   
  
A spell came out of nowhere and hit Conroy, sending him spinning and as he hit the ground with a crack, his wand flying out of his hand, Jihoon lifted his head just in time to see Wonwoo throw off his invisibility cloak and point it at Conroy’s still body.   
  
Before Montgomery could react, Jihoon twisted his wand and a blast of air from the growing storm hit the Death Eater in the chest and knocked him off his feet. Montgomery landed in a puddle of rain but before he could stand Jihoon performed a complicated wand movement and the soaked floor underneath him began to freeze, locking him in place.   
  
Carefully removing himself from the hole in which he was stuck, Jihoon walked towards Montgomery and kicked his wand out of his hand before leering down at him, watching as the ice continued to completely envelope him. “Marcus Montgomery, you’re under arrest.”

  
  
—   


 

  
“Are you sure you shouldn’t be seen by a Healer?” Jihoon asked Jeonghan in concern.   
  
After they had fished him and Seungcheol from the ocean, Seungcheol was urgently brought to St. Mungo’s and was currently being taken care of at the hospital. Jeonghan refused to be looked at on the scene, claiming he was fine and that he wanted to oversee the Death Eaters being delivered to Ministry custody. After the officials came to take them away, Wonwoo and Jun offered to stay behind to file an official report to the Auror office while Jihoon and Jeonghan went to visit Seungcheol.    
  
Despite Jeonghan’s refusal to get admitted he was clearly limping and Jihoon was half tempted to stun Jeonghan himself just to drag his body into a hospital bed, but was moderately afraid of invoking his wrath. Beyond the small limp, Jeonghan looked out of his mind with worry. Others probably couldn’t tell, used to his stoic nature and severe face, but Jihoon had known him for years and could see the tension building underneath his skin and the look akin to desperation in his green eyed gaze.    
  
It made Jihoon wonder. Seungcheol and Jeonghan had broken up three years ago and Jeonghan had been the one to break off their relationship. But he had never given a reason, and since then has been hell bent on avoiding Seungcheol and treating him like he didn’t exist. And yet now, after all this time, he was still so worried.   
  
“My cousin is a Healer here, he should be able to give us an update about Seungcheol,” Jeonghan said briskly, walking towards the front desk with purpose. “Is Mr. Hong Jisoo available?”   
  
The greeting witch seemed flustered at the intimidating aura Jeonghan was giving off and Jihoon didn’t blame her. “He’s in room three right now with a patient, if you could just take a seat-”   
  
Jeonghan didn’t bothering waiting, immediately walking towards the room. Jihoon quickly thanked her, apologizing profusely before following after. Without knocking he threw the door open, but froze in the doorway, while Jihoon peeked over his shoulder to look inside.   
  
In the room, Seungcheol was sitting up in bed, looking overall unharmed, instead sporting a huge goofy grin on his face, the one that Jihoon hadn’t seen in years. A young man in the bright green uniform of the Healers was seated in a chair by Seungcheol’s bed. He had soft brown hair and a handsome, kind smile, and seemed to be lecturing Seungcheol about something, though Seungcheol barely seem to be comprehending what he was saying, clearly enraptured with a stunned, enamored look on his face.   
  
“Jeonghan!” The Healer, who Jihoon assumed was Jisoo, stood up when he saw them in the doorway,  the most beautiful smile spreading across his face. Seungcheol looked close to swooning. “Nice of you to visit! I haven’t seen you in weeks, how have you been?”   
  
Jeonghan was at a loss for words, staring blankly at the warm picture of Seungcheol and Jisoo together.   
  
Jihoon cleared his throat, feeling uncomfortable, and squeezed past Jeonghan to smile uncertainly at Seungcheol. “You feeling okay, Cheol?”   
  
“Jihoon!” Seungcheol seemed to finally realize there was someone else in the room. “Yeah, I’m one hundred percent better! Jisoo has done an amazing job. I feel brand new thanks to his care.”   
  
Jihoon didn’t know whether to laugh or cringe at his words practically dripping with honey.   
  
Jeonghan was still dumbstruck while Jisoo’s smile only widened. “Are these are the friends you were mentioning?” Jisoo was delighted. “Jeonghan is my cousin!”   
  
“What a small word,” Seungcheol grinned happily at Jisoo, clearly unphased by the awkwardness of the situation. “Great people come from your family, what a superb batch of genes!”   
  
Jihoon was about to excuse himself because he really didn’t want to subject himself to this anymore, when Jeonghan spoke first. “Glad you’re okay,” he said, voice almost a whisper, before he turned around and left the room.   
  
“Wait, Jeonghan-” Jisoo confusedly made to go after him but Jihoon quickly cut in.   
  
“I’ll go talk to him, he’s probably just tired,” Jihoon lied, smiling awkwardly before leaving to try and catch Jeonghan before he ran away.

  
Jihoon caught up to Jeonghan just as he was walking down the stairs, shoulders hunched and head down. “Jeonghan!” He called out.   
  
Jeonghan paused, hand on the railing. Jihoon was determined. Nothing made sense to him and he needed to know the truth before he missed his only chance. Jihoon knew it wasn’t really his place to ask, but he had grown up watching the two fall in love and be in love. He had thought they had fallen out of love, but if that hadn’t been the case, he needed to know Jeonghan’s reasons.

  
“You’ve avoided telling me for all these years,” Jihoon said quietly, not understanding. “Why did you leave Seungcheol… You still love him, don’t you?”   
  
There was a tense moment, Jeonghan’s knuckles turning white from his grip on the railing,  before Jeonghan finally turned around. His gaze was distraught, like a dark pit which only grew deeper every day. Jihoon had never seen this kind of look on him before, or maybe he just hadn’t noticed. Jeonghan was the strong one; brave, unyielding, determined, that’s how he’d always known him, but maybe that pit hid much more than he realized. 

“I did what I had to do. I did what was right,” he said, voice cold like ice, eyes piercing Jihoon almost accusingly. “What about you Jihoon?” Jihoon froze. “How can you say you love Soonyoung when you put him in danger every moment you’re with him?” Jihoon was silent, at a loss for words. “I made my choice. Temporary happiness isn't worth putting Seungcheol’s life on the line. He’s safer without me… And he deserves better.”   
  
His words left Jihoon reeling. It seemed to make sense now. Jeonghan had never stopped loving Seungcheol, Jihoon wouldn’t be surprised if Jeonghan loved him more than ever. But Jeonghan made his decision thinking there wasn’t any other choice and Jihoon couldn’t help but wish he could convince Jeonghan that maybe there was one after all.     
  
“Jihoon, there you are!”   
  
The two looked up just as Soonyoung came bounding towards them up the stairs. He grabbed Jihoon by the shoulders, turning him around and looking him over. “Are you alright? The Auror office called me and said that I needed to go to St. Mungo’s because someone was injured!”   
  
Jeonghan watched them, face blank and unreadable. Their eyes met. “I suggest you think about what you’re doing and make the right decision,” he said, completely ignoring Soonyoung. “You can’t protect him. It would be a shame if you realize that too late.” Then he descended down the stairs, Jihoon’s gaze following him until he disappeared.

  
When Jihoon looked back at Soonyoung, he was casting him a questioning look. “What was he talking about?”   
  
Jihoon tried to force a smile onto his face, reaching out to wrap his arms around Soonyoung’s waist. “Nothing you need to worry about.” He leaned forward and rested his head against his chest, closing his eyes and feeling relief wash over him. The exhaustion from the day had finally caught up to him and he was relieved through his whole body that everyone had survived and they were safe. In times like these that was never a guarantee.   
  
“Soonyoung…” Jihoon mumbled, unable to keep himself from asking. “Did you accept the money?”   
  
Soonyoung pulled away, but Jihoon didn’t let him get far, snuggling closer to his chest. “How did you even hear about that?” He asked, voice distraught. “Did Jun tell you?”   
  
“Is that a yes?” Jihoon asked.   
  
“Of course I didn’t take it,” Soonyoung said. He forcefully pulled away so he could look Jihoon in the eye, who frowned at the sudden distance between them. Jihoon was rarely this clingy, realizing just how much he had missed Soonyoung. “Though, I did think about it a little and… Maybe we should. Take the money, I mean.” At Jihoon’s questioning look, he continued. “We can go overseas. America maybe, or Asia. Somewhere where You-Know-Who’s reign won’t reach. We can be safe there.”   
  
Jihoon’s smile was sad. Jeonghan’s words repeated in his ears, but they only solidified his resolve. “We’ll never be safe,” he said. “Wherever we go, there’s no guarantee of what the future brings. If London falls and Voldemort wins, the world falls with him. So I’m going to make a stand here and do everything in my abilities to protect what I love.”   
  
Soonyoung reached out, tracing the line of his cheek and seeming at a loss for words. Jihoon pressed into his palm, eyes fluttering close. “You never cease to amaze me. I love you,” Soonyoung whispered and Jihoon’s mouth quirked upward. “You’re not alone, you know?  I’m by your side every step of the way.”Soonyoung pulled him forward and pressed his face into Jihoon’s shoulder, eyes squeezing closed. “We’re going to make it,” he promised. “Together.”   
  
But Jihoon couldn’t make the same promise.   
  
Their future was unknown and war was on the horizon. But Jihoon knew that in these dark times, he was not going to back down and let Voldemort win. Jihoon was not going to give up like Jeonghan did and wallow in misery, waiting for the end. He was going to stand and fight, and he would make sure that Soonyoung survived this whole dark mess, even if he died trying.

 

—   


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoy the second installment in my Harry Potter au. It’s been a blast and I’m excited to show you the rest of the stories I have planned!
> 
> Of course, thank you alice @aquariusblues for being the best beta and writer buddy EVER. Honestly she’s the only reason any of this au makes sense lol
> 
> Let me know what you guys think, and any theories you have about the following fics. :)
> 
> Also, I’m so sorry @ all the Jeongcheol fans out there... I’ve played you i’m so sorry~~~


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